iZombie #28 Review

The end is here!

After just over two years, it’s time to say goodbye to Gwen, Spot, and the rest of the inhabitants of Eugene, Oregon. This issue marks the conclusion to iZombie, and rather surprisingly, Chris Roberson and Mike Allred manage to wrap up the many plot threads and deliver a satisfying, if bittersweet, end. Though the arc has felt somewhat truncated over the course of the last few issues, this installment takes its time to deliver the necessary send-off to the many characters we’ve come to love over the course of 28 issues.

Right from the beginning, Roberson makes it clear where Gwen’s story is headed. She’s spent the entire series trying to live a normal life despite being a brain-eating zombie. Where Roberson leaves her is a shockingly heartwarming place, and one that makes total sense in the scope of her overall character arc. Of course, there’s insanity dispersed throughout – an interdimensional squid monster trying to kill a population that includes were-terriers, vampire babes, and a secret government organization known as the Dead Presidents, for instance – but by and large Roberson keeps the finale focused squarely on Gwen and her destiny. Though it’s not as bad as the last issue, there is still a great deal of exposition and catch-up dispersed throughout dialog and narration. With the issue being the series finale, it probably could have just coasted on the assumption that anyone reading it had a fair idea of what was going on and allot that space to something else.

Mike Allred delivers work up to his usual standard, if not surpassing it. The level of detail in this issue is exceptionally high, as even when the action is in the foreground he doesn’t neglect adding a few dangling tentacles snatching up innocent bystanders in the background. Add to that his natural ability to render some of the most out-there sequences in the book thus far – like when a giant, naked Gwen takes to the skies to battle the aforementioned squid monster – while managing to keep it suitably emotional, and you’ve got a rock solid conclusion, visually and narratively.

iZombie #28 is a fitting conclusion to the series, wrapping everything up thematically as well as in plot. While I’m certainly sad to see this book go, I can now enjoy the full series in one fell swoop. Farewell, iZombie, you’ve served me well.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.